


Blueberry Lip Balm

by Little_Miss_Numbers



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Didn't Know They Were Dating, F/F, First Kiss, First Meetings, Romance, girl stuff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-26
Updated: 2016-07-26
Packaged: 2018-07-26 18:53:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7586008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Little_Miss_Numbers/pseuds/Little_Miss_Numbers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being a girl can be a pain sometimes, but there are some days Kono wouldn't trade it for the world.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blueberry Lip Balm

Kono was 10 years old the day her best friend Kaylee gave her a kid's makeup kit for her birthday. It had glittery eye shadow and plastic high heel shoes she couldn't walk in and pinched her toes when she forced them on her feet.

"You know, boys really like a girl in heels," Kaylee's mother had said when Kono tried them on. Kono thought if attracting men was supposed to be this uncomfortable, she'd rather be alone.

 

A year later, when all Kono wanted to do was go down to the beach and surf all her friends at school wanted to do was swap lip balm and talk about clothes.

"Here try the blueberry," said Kaylee passing a small blue egg container. "It's my favourite one."

They were five of them hanging out in Kaylee's basement and Kono was leaning back against the couch, legs drawn up, bored out of her mind. She tried the lip balm anyways and wondered how hygienic it was sharing them all like this.

From across the room, someone else passed Kaylee a tube of lip gloss.

"Wow, Kaylee, that shade looks really good on you," said Mia from beside Kono.

The comment drew Kono's eyes to Kaylee's lips, now bright pink and glistening and felt her heart suddenly pound at the sight. She licked her own lips and was surprised to taste blueberries.

"Yeah?" asked Kaylee breaking into a grin. "You think Dave will notice?"

"If he doesn't he's blind," said Kono honestly. 

Kaylee beamed. "Definitely keeping this one," she announced.

 

_"Kono, sit up straight. No man wants a girlfriend who slouches."_

_"Kono, you should smile more, you're so much prettier when you smile."_

_"You always wear so little clothes, Kono. What will people think?"_

Random phrases ran through Kono's mind while she wrestled in front of the changing room mirror.

The bikini top pinched uncomfortably where it did up on the back, and dug into Kono's sides under her arms. The bottom kept trying to give her a wedgie, and she could just barely hide a few pubic hairs that stuck out, which she felt was fine for now, but she wasn't sure how she was supposed to deal with that long term. The thought kind of scared her.

"You look so good, Kono!" squealed Kaylee when she stepped out. Kono could see her in the mirror, she had a different two piece suit on and when she saw Kono looking at her she spun around. "How does this one look?"

It had taken about three years for Kono to figure out her feelings for Kaylee weren't entirely platonic, and now that she had she would have done anything in moments like these to just make them go away. Kaylee looked really good in that suit.

"I think we should wear these to the beach party tomorrow," Kaylee continued. "You know Matt's gonna be there.

Kono frowned at the name of Kaylee's newest crush.

"Ben Bass will be there too," she told Kono with a wink and gave Kono another approving look. "He'll definitely notice you in a bathing suit like that."

Kono thought she didn't really care if Ben Bass noticed her or not, she was starting to wonder why she cared so much what Kaylee thought when she always ran off after the nearest boy anyways. 

But when she did look back at the shop mirror on the wall she thought she looked a bit those girls you always see on tv. She smiled at her reflection and ended buying the suit.

\---

The first time Kono met Catherine, she was dressed in camo fatigues and had her hair back in a severe bun. Kono was pretty sure her and Steve had a date planned, but the team still took the opportunity to thank her for all the help she's given them and shake her hand.

It was strange finally putting a face to the satellite images that had saved their asses more than once. Somehow she wasn't what Kono had expected.

"I didn't know makeup was regulation," said Kono when it was her turn, noting a bit of foundation and blush, and a nice shade of nude lipstick.

Catherine looked startled for a second, then smiled. "It's fine as long as it's not too noticeable," she explained.

"Huh, not as strict as I thought they were," Kono commented.

"I'm also allowed two barrettes," she added conspiratorially to Kono.

"Wow, luxury, two whole barrettes," said Kono, amused. "You know, if I had to follow regulations like that, I'd always do it, just because I could."

Catherine laughed, then reached up and unclipped two plain black barrettes from the left side of her hair.

 

The second time Kono saw Catherine she almost didn't recognize her. She was in Steve's backyard, along with the rest of the team and a few other friends. Catherine walked out of the house in a halo of light, hair down and artificially curled at the bottom, with a black tank top and skinny jeans, that, with the help of the heels of her shoe, accentuated the length of her legs. 

Definitely not regulation, Kono thought to herself admiring the dark lipstick designed to match her shirt and all the other small touches she was pretty sure flew right over the heads of all the men here.

Men never cared. Steve was wearing the same shirt and cargo pants he'd worn at work all day, Danny had changed, but it had been from nice work clothes to an old t-shirt and jeans. Looking through the crowd no one fared better. 

"Thinking deep thoughts?"

Kono turned around, as Catherine walked around and took the seat on the bench beside her.

"Actually I was just thinking about the fact we're the only two girls here," said Kono. "Steve needs to get out more."

"That's not true," said Catherine and Kono followed her gaze down to the beach where Grace was building something in the sand, slacks and her pretty white lacy shirt covered in brown stains, and Danny on his knees in front of her encouraging her. 

Kono's own father would never have let her get that dirty when she was that age and she couldn't help but grin at the sight. "I stand corrected," she said, "I guess I owe Steve an apology."

Catherine laughed and Kono watched her as she drew her legs up and hugged her knees on the backless bench, staring out into the busy yard. 

"Actually there was something I wanted to ask you about," she said. "I have a long leave coming up and I want to take it here. But Steve's pretty much the only local I actually know, and he’s great and all, but, he’s know you…”

"A guy?" Kono finished for her. 

"Like he's great for showing me somewhere I can get a meal for a reasonable price," said Catherine diplomatically. "But if I want new clothes or something..."

"Yeah, I get it," said Kono. "Sure, it's a date." She grinned.

\---

"Dressy," commented Kono when she saw the shirt Catherine had picked up off the rack. It was long, designed to hang loosely with a bit of matching lace around the neckline.

"Something wrong with that?" asked Catherine. 

"Not at all," said Kono. "Just wouldn't have guessed this was your style the first time we met."

While Kono had some fancier clothes of her own, she tended to go for simpler styles on a day-to-day basis. Stuff she wouldn't mind getting dirty if she had to. Just a part of her job, she always told herself.

"Camo is mostly for formal occasions," said Catherine with a wink pulling the shirt off its hanger. "Honestly, after spending a few months on tour in sweaty ACUs it's nice to just dress up a bit," she admitted admiring the shirt. "I'm going to go try it on."

It wasn't something that appealed to her personally, but Kono could admit when Catherine walked back out, that it suited her. 

"Well, how does it look?" asked Catherine spinning around so Kono could get a good look. 

Kono's eyes drifted to just under her arms where loose fabric hung over tight and said, "Uncomfortable."

"Nah," said Catherine. "I used to do competitive figure skating, now those outfits were uncomfortable. Not to mention cold," she added wrinkling her nose. 

Kono laughed.

"What?"

"Just trying to picture you in one of those sparkly figure skating costumes," said Kono. "I'd love to see photos."

"Never going to happen," said Catherine. "I burned them all."

 

At the cashier's desk Kono noticed a container full of different types of lip balm and watched Catherine grab a couple identical eggs. 

"I remember when those came out," said Kono. "All my friends were obsessed with them."

"I loved these when I was a teenager," said Catherine. "I just wanted to run out and make someone kiss me so they could feel how soft my lips were."

Kono laughed and ignored the way the image of Catherine running around trying to get people to kiss her made her blush. "Yeah."

"Here," said Catherine tossing her one of the eggs after she'd finished paying. "For taking me out."

Kono looked down at the small blue egg in her hand and smiled.

\---

For their second outing Kono suggested heading up the north shore after Steve had casually mentioned during work that Catherine knew how to surf. They took Catherine's car--which was a really nice car, and who knew, Catherine was definitely a car person--and Kono was enjoying riding down the freeway, windows down and her feet up on Catherine's dashboard while she continuously applied her new lip balm.

"You wanna take the turn-off coming up on your right," said Kono.

Catherine hit her turn signal and switched lanes. "So Steve tells me you used to be a pro."

"Yeah, like a lifetime ago," said Kono. "I had to quit when I blew out my knee."

Catherine hummed sympathetically. "How did you ever get involved in that? I don't think I ever picked up a surfboard before my mid-twenties."

Kono smiled, "My mom had me on a surfboard before I could even walk. But I think it was Kaylee who really got me into it. She was a girl I grew up with. She figured surfing was a good way to meet boys, so we were down at the beach every other day."

Catherine grinned. "Is that it? You got into surfing to get attention of boys?"

"Actually I was a lot more interested in getting Kaylee's attention," Kono admitted. "Though it took me a couple years to figure that out."

She said it like it was no big deal, but she watched Catherine's reaction carefully out of the corner of her eye anyways. 

The smile on Catherine's face never faltered. "Mmm, I think I know this story," she said. "The best friend you can't tell if she returns your feelings or if she's just being a girl."

Kono laughed, "Oh no, Kaylee was painfully straight."

"It’s probably better when it goes that way," said Cath. "My best friend actually suggested we practice kissing together."

"Oh my God," said Kono.

"It must have worked, she ended up dating the cutest guy in school," Catherine added with a wry smile.

"Oh God," Kono laughed, "I'm sorry I shouldn't find that funny."

"It's alright," said Catherine. "It was almost 20 years ago, I'm pretty over it."

"Girls," said Kono in solidarity. 

"Almost as bad as boys," Catherine agreed.

"You wanna take the next right," said Kono noticing where they were.

"You know, I hate taking back roads in areas I don't know," Catherine admitted. 

"You could let me drive," offered Kono, hopefully. 

Catherine smirked, "I don't let people drive my car until at least the third date."

 

Surfing turned into lunch which turned into sunbathing, which finally turned into shaved ice at a small stand by the beach while they watched the sun start to set and neither of them still quite feeling like they wanted to make the drive home yet. All in all, Kono thought it was a pretty perfect day.

\---

The first time Steve asked Catherine to help out the team, her and Kono ended up grabbing a couple malasadas for lunch on a park bench around the block from Iolani while they waited for the rest of the team to get back.

"So you're what? Bi? Pan?" Kono asked between bites. "Do you have a preference?"

Catherine gave what looked like a curious glance back at Kono--who did her best to look innocently curious--before Catherine answered, "Bi." She looked thoughtful. "No preference, exactly, but men and women are different."

"Different?"

"Yeah, it's hard to explain," turning her malasada around while she considered. "Men are like 'nice', you know, but women are more like 'wow.'" she laughed. "That doesn't make any sense, does it?"

"Not really," admitted Kono. 

Catherine leaned back on the bench. "It's like, I dunno, I love men, but women have this ability to make me feel like I'm a dorky teenager again, who can't even string two sentences together. All it takes is a smile from a pretty woman and my legs turn to jelly. Men don't do that."

Catherine was watching Kono with an odd look as she explained, that for some reason made Kono turn away when she noticed it. "Yeah?" she asked, and she could feel a small blush creeping up her neck. Then still looking the other way, "So does Steve know your bi?" 

Catherine didn't answer, and Kono looked back over to see a very different look on her face. "Yeah, but you know, me and Steve aren't like dating or anything. We're just friends."

Kono raised an eyebrow. "Just friends? I wouldn't mind a friend like that," she said. 

She knew immediately she'd said the wrong thing when the expression on Catherine's face closed off. She finished her malasada and stood up. "We should be getting back," she said, stretching.

"Yeah, sure thing," said Kono. She didn't say anything else the entire way back to the palace. Their previous conversation still buzzing through her head.

\---

Kono slipped into the bathroom before work and was surprised to see Catherine there already. She had her makeup kit out and was muttering as she wiped the last bit of foundation off and dropped the wipe in her hand onto a pile of similarly coloured peach towelettes.

Kono ignored the scene for the moment. "Steve ask for your help again?"

"Something about a code he wants help breaking," said Catherine, distracted. 

"Some vacation, huh?" Kono leaned against the washroom counter, arms crossed and eyed the pile of towelettes. "Everything alright?"

"How do you manage to keep a face full of makeup here without it caking on you? I swear I never have this problem anywhere but here."

"Well a good primer helps," offered Kono. "Also don't put it on too thick," she added thinking back to her own experimentations when she was younger. She started digging through her own purse. "I also use a lot of waterproof makeup. I mean I started because of surfing, and somehow it just became my go-to."

She sat up on the counter so she could see Catherine's face better, and started looking through her own stuff to see what would help.

Catherine gratefully took her offered primer and started putting it on. "You know, I'm honestly this close to just not bothering in humid places anymore," admitted Catherine. "I grew up in Maryland, makeup was never that complicated there."

Kono looked at Catherine's face, makeup all washed off. She could see the difference, Catherine looked a bit closer to her age, lines slightly more visible around her eyes and face slightly paler. But she still looked pretty good. Kono doubted any of the guys would notice at all.

Kono was somewhat aware sitting there that she hadn't seen Catherine in over week. Not since the malasadas date. But it seemed like her and Catherine were good. Kono was relieved.

"I quit makeup for a while," Kono admitted. "For like 6 months."

Catherine glanced up, looking somewhat amused. "Yeah?"

"Yeah," said Kono softly, "when I blew my knee out."

"Oh," said Catherine.

"Yeah, I mean, I was never really that keen on it in the first place," Kono continued, "I think I only started wearing it because everyone else did, you know, high school."

Catherine nodded. "Been there," she agreed. "You should have joined the navy, half the women I've served with don't bother."

"Yeah," said Kono. "I probably would have just stopped, but I dunno, I got so depressed, I stopped really caring about anything. It was a struggle just to make myself shower on a semi regular basis. And now when I get myself ready in the morning, I go through the whole nine yards: styling my hair, makeup, nice clothes. It's a nice reminder that I'm not there anymore. That things are better."

She smiled at Catherine to let her know it wasn't that serious. "It's dumb," she said.

"No," said Catherine firmly. "It's not."

Kono looked away, embarrassed. "Come on," she said, eyes resting on the makeup scattered everywhere. "Let's get you dolled up."

Kono watched fascinated as Catherine applied her makeup. For some reason it reminded her of being 14 again, with all her friends, clumsily figuring all these products out for the first time. Which was strange because Catherine definitely knew what she was doing, efficiently applying each bit perfectly with an almost bored casualness. With only a little advice from Kono, like "don't use the powder blush, it'll cake. Here'd I've got a gel about that colour."

When Catherine had finished applying it Kono pulled out some blotting papers, "Let me just..." she said without thinking, she reached over and started patting them over her face to pick up some of the excess oil. 

She looked down to inspect the job and glanced over to see a pair of dark brown eyes staring up at her. Then, on extinct glanced down to Catherine’s now very red lips.

Kono was suddenly very grateful for her own makeup for hiding the flush creeping into her cheeks as she let go of Catherine's chin--a bit quicker than she meant to.

"So?" asked Kono, gathering all her stuff back up. 

"It looks good," said Catherine, turning her head slightly while she admired her own reflection. "Probably look even better once we get out from under these fluorescent lights," she added with a dry smile.

"Come on," said Kono hoping down and resisting the urge to spend too much time staring at Catherine's face. "We're gonna be late."

 

When Kono walked into HQ with Catherine, Steve looked up from the computer table where he'd been going over something with Danny and raised a curious eyebrow at Catherine.

Catherine glared back and shook her head, which apparently just amused Steve. He winked at her and went back to the computer table.

"What was that about?" asked Kono.

"Nothing," said Catherine, and Kono was surprised to see that she looked a bit flustered. "Remind me to kill him later, though."

 

"Clear," Kono heard Chin's voice from the living room down the hall. 

"Clear," called Catherine from the room across from her. 

Kono frowned, mouth tight. Their suspects had already blown up a car, and it made her nervous going through a house that might have explosives somewhere with guns. 

"Clear," she said, after checking the bedroom, she'd just turned around when she heard Steve through her earpiece, "We just found a bomb in the basement. Everyone out! Now!"

Kono remembered everything happened very quickly. There was a brief second where everyone looked at each other, and then they were turning and rushing back towards the front entrance. There was a bright light, and a loud noise, and Kono was pretty sure she could hear Catherine yell her name before losing consciousness.

The next time Kono opened her eyes, her head was swimming and there was a loud ringing in her ears. She blinked, eyes hurting at the sight of a blue sky shining over blackened house rubble. The lower half of her body was still buried, and she was vaguely aware of larger bodies moving around her still digging her out.

She coughed and regretted it when it made her head hurt and Catherine's face appeared over her, looking very much like a house had just blown up in her face.

"Hey, hey, don't move," said Catherine softly, cradling her head. "Everyone else is OK, but you need to hold still so they can check you over, alright? Just focus on me, alright?"

Kono nodded and stared up at Catherine. Her face was half covered with soot with a large gash on her cheek. And her hair was a complete mess, going every which way and sticking up in weird places. An odd thought fluttered through Kono’s mind that she was disappointed the makeup job from this morning was now completely ruined.

"You're so pretty," said Kono and she leaned forward. Then the world went black...

 

When Kono woke up again it was to the sound of beeping machines and muffled voices carrying through echoing halls. She opened her eyes and winced at the fluorescent lights, even already turned down. 

"Careful, the doctors are pretty sure you've got a concussion."

Kono turned her head and looked at Catherine who was sitting, one leg crossed over the other, in the chair beside her bed, delicately putting her bookmark back in the book she was reading. There was a bandage on her cheek, the kind used to cover up fresh stitches, and her arm was in a sling, but otherwise she looked good. Obviously showered and cleaned up.

"What happened?" asked Kono. 

"Well a house blew up with you still in it," said Catherine casually. "You didn't do too badly though. A concussion, a cracked rib, doctors say you should be back to normal by this time next month.

"Great," said Kono flatly.

"The guys are still out there chasing down those assholes, but they send their regards."

Catherine smirked, and leaned back, briefly running her hand through her hair. Kono was briefly distracted by the sight of silky strands separating and melting back into each other on Catherine's bare shoulder. She had to quash a sudden urge to reach out and touch it. 

And then she remembered, "Wait, back at the scene, I didn't--" 

Kono's heart was pounding, that had to have been a dream. 

"Let's see,” said Catherine matter of factly, “you stared up into my eyes, called me pretty within earshot of everybody, and then just before you managed to get your head high enough to kiss me, you passed out."

"Oh my god," Kono moaned, covering her face with her pillow, suddenly wishing they'd just left her in that hole to die. 

But Catherine didn't seem mad when Kono glanced over, she was grinning, obviously amused by the whole thing. 

"This isn't funny," said Kono, shoving the pillow back over her head and muffling her voice. 

"No," Catherine disagreed. "You know what isn't funny? I've been trying to get your attention pretty much since the first time we met. And despite all my best attempts, it took a house literally blowing up on you for you to actually give me any sign whatsoever you actually like me."

Kono pulled the pillow down to her nose and peaked back at Catherine who was sitting there, one armed crossed over her sling and a firm expression on her face that clearly said 'your move.'

"We're idiots," said Kono. 

Catherine stared back and Kono for a moment then suddenly started laughing. “We are,” she agreed.

And when they finally kissed, Catherine's lips tasted like blueberries.

**Author's Note:**

> I realise eos lib balm came out too recently for Kono to be using it as a teenager, but man I love the egg shape so much I couldn't resist. 
> 
> I don't actually use eos lip balm, and I hear some people can get a pretty nasty allergic reaction from them. So if you do decide to try them out, be careful!


End file.
